Struggling for Survival: The Intricate Relationship between Poverty & Hiv/Aids In District Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Poverty a multifaceted phenomenon has been defined as hunger, deprivation, constrained choices and other interrelated features that impact upon the standard of living and quality of life of people. Poverty not only consists in the absence of financial capital but also includes an inability to access education, a doctor, information, social assets and skills. There has been a close association between poverty and HIV infection. HIV/AIDS is widely known around the world where the disease is destroying the lives and livelihood of tens of thousands of people. A major portion of infected people are found in developing countries like Pakistan The issue calls for the immediate attention of the research community because of its rapid spread in Pakistan. The current research was conducted with the objectives to identify the relationship between poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The study applying a qualitative research approach was conducted in District Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Primary data was collected from fifteen (15) respondents through in-depth interview (using an interview guide) while the selection of the sample was made through non-probability sampling using a purposive sampling technique. Further, the research was analyzed qualitatively and a thematic discussion was made to clarify the issue under study. Research concluded that poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS have close association and some remedies were also suggested in order to control the spread of the disease.